Houston Rodeo Tickets: Houston Rodeo Honor Allan Jackson

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston, is the world's largest live entertainment and livestock exhibition. It also includes the richest regular-season PRCA rodeo event. It has been held at Reliant Astrodome, formerly just the Astrodome in Houston, Texas since 1966.

In 2010, attendance reached a record high of 2.2 million, requiring more than 22,000 volunteers. In 2007, the Rodeo was deemed the year of the volunteer. The event is 20 days long. It is kicked off by the Downtown Rodeo Roundup held near Houston City Hall, the Downtown Rodeo parade and the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run / 5k walk & run and the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest.

The Show features championship Rodeo action including bull riding, livestock judging, concerts, a carnival, pig racing, barbecue and the Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition, shopping, sales and livestock auctions. Traditional trail rides, which start in different areas of Texas and end in Houston, precede the Rodeo events. The City of Houston celebrates this event with Go Texan Days, where residents are encouraged to dress in western wear for the duration of the Show.

The rodeo has drawn some of the world's biggest recording artists, including Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Selena, Bon Jovi, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among others.

The wide variety of entertainment at The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has proven to be a popular feature of the event, as it caters to a multitude of tastes. Previous performers include country, rock, blues, Tejano, and pop musicians, stand-up comedians, and even actors.

The Friday before the Parade is also known as Go Texan Day, where the entire population of Houston is encouraged to dress in Western attire, such as jeans, cowboy boots, and cowboy hats. While the concept was discussed in 1938 by the General Manager of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, it wasn't until the 1950s that it finally was put into practice. In 1954, Archer Romero chaired the first Go Texan Committee to encourage what would later become a Houston tradition during the rodeo.

In 1937, planning had begun for the first Rodeo Parade leading up to the 1938 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The first parade was headed by Mounted Police and various dignitaries on the city, county, and state levels, who also rode horseback. There were two bands with a Drum and Bugle Corp.

In 1952, the Salt Grass Trail ride was the first trail ride that was formed by only a few men. The following year, the publicity from that ride attracted more people to join.